Azmin Ali

Summary

Datuk Seri Mohamed Azmin Ali is a veteran Malaysian politician currently serving as ADUN for Hulu Kelang and Selangor State Opposition Leader under the BERSATU/Perikatan Nasional banner. He has held a range of senior positions across more than two decades — including Selangor Menteri Besar (2014–2018) and MITI Senior Minister (2020–2022) — and was a central figure in the 2020 Sheraton Move that brought down the Pakatan Harapan federal government. He now leads BERSATU as Secretary-General while focusing his political activities on the Selangor state level.

Biography

Mohamed Azmin bin Ali (born 25 August 1964 in Singapore) is a Malaysian politician and member of Parti Pribumi Bersatu Malaysia (BERSATU). He currently serves as the Member of the Selangor State Legislative Assembly (ADUN) for Hulu Kelang and as State Leader of the Opposition in Selangor since August 2023 [1]. He also holds the position of Secretary-General of BERSATU, a role he accepted in November 2024 [2]. Born to Ali Omar and Che Tom Yahaya — his father served as a clerk for the British Army — Azmin grew up in Kuala Lumpur and received his early schooling at Gurney Road Primary School, Setapak High School, and Jalan Cheras Technical Institute. He obtained a Bachelor of Science in Economics and Mathematics and a Master of Education degree from the University of Minnesota [3]. He joined the civil service in 1987 as special officer to Anwar Ibrahim, then Minister of Education, and later served as Anwar's private secretary when Anwar was Minister of Finance and Deputy Prime Minister [3]. His electoral career began in 1999 when he won the Hulu Kelang state seat under Parti Keadilan Nasional. After a period out of elected office, he returned in 2008 as Gombak MP and Bukit Antarabangsa ADUN, retaining both seats in 2013 and 2018 [1]. He served as Selangor Menteri Besar from 23 September 2014 until June 2018 [1]. After the Sheraton Move in February 2020, he left PKR and joined BERSATU, serving as Senior Minister and Minister of International Trade and Industry from 2020 to 2022 [1]. He lost the Gombak parliamentary seat in GE15 in November 2022 before winning the Hulu Kelang state seat in the 2023 Selangor state election [3].

Known for

Azmin Ali is most associated with the February 2020 Sheraton Move, in which he led a faction of PKR Members of Parliament out of the Pakatan Harapan government, contributing to the fall of the Mahathir administration and the formation of the Perikatan Nasional government. He previously served as Selangor Menteri Besar from 2014 to 2018, during which he introduced social welfare schemes including Peduli Rakyat and Peduli Sihat, and launched a 10-year state smart development programme. He has been a central figure in BERSATU and Perikatan Nasional's electoral strategy to contest Selangor from the opposition bench.

Political positions

As Selangor State Opposition Leader and BERSATU Secretary-General, Azmin operates within the Perikatan Nasional bloc's policy framework. During his tenure as MITI Minister (2020–2022), he advocated for attracting high-value foreign investments and promoted Malaysia as a regional manufacturing and supply chain hub, citing the country's global trade connectivity rankings [3]. In the Selangor state assembly, he has scrutinised the finances and management of state-linked corporations such as PKNS (Selangor State Development Corporation), raising questions about debt levels and asset disposals, and challenged the state government on water tariff policies [2]. He has also publicly opposed what he characterised as unconstitutional police investigations of state assemblymen for remarks made in the assembly, filing for judicial review in 2024 [2]. His broader political positioning aligns with Perikatan Nasional's opposition to the current Pakatan Harapan-led federal and Selangor state governments.

Education

1. Late 1970s–Early 1980sAttended Gurney Road Primary School, then Setapak High School, and later Jalan Cheras Technical Institute in Kuala Lumpur.⛓
2. Mid-1980sObtained a Bachelor of Science in Economics and Mathematics and a Master of Education degree from the University of Minnesota.⛓

Before politics

1. 1987Joined the civil service as special officer to Anwar Ibrahim, then Minister of Education; later served as Anwar's private secretary when Anwar held the posts of Minister of Finance and Deputy Prime Minister.⛓

Political career

1. 1999Won the Hulu Kelang state seat under Parti Keadilan Nasional, defeating Barisan Nasional in a straight fight by a majority of 1,146 votes — his electoral debut.⛓
2. 2004Barred from contesting the 2004 general election following a conviction for lying in court during the Anwar Ibrahim trial. Both the High Court and Court of Appeal later acquitted him.⛓
3. March 2008Returned to elected politics, winning both the Gombak parliamentary seat and the Bukit Antarabangsa state seat in Selangor under PKR.⛓
4. 2010Won an internal PKR election for the party's deputy presidency, replacing Syed Husin who did not seek re-election.⛓
5. September 2014Appointed Menteri Besar of Selangor following the resignation of Khalid Ibrahim.⛓
6. May 2018Retained both the Gombak parliamentary seat and Bukit Antarabangsa state seat in GE14. Relinquished the Selangor Menteri Besar post to become Minister of Economic Affairs in the Mahathir-led Pakatan Harapan federal government.⛓
7. February 2020Led a faction of PKR MPs in the event known as the Sheraton Move, contributing to the collapse of the Pakatan Harapan federal government. Was expelled from PKR on 24 February 2020.⛓
8. February–March 2020Joined BERSATU. Appointed Senior Minister and Minister of International Trade and Industry in the cabinet of Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin.⛓
9. November 2022Lost the Gombak parliamentary seat in GE15, receiving 59,538 votes in a five-cornered contest won by Pakatan Harapan's Amirudin Shari with 72,267 votes.⛓
10. August 2023Won the Hulu Kelang state seat in the Selangor state election with a majority of 1,617 votes, defeating PKR's Juwairiya Zulfkifli.⛓
11. September 2023Appointed State Leader of the Opposition in the Selangor State Legislative Assembly, leading a bloc of 22 Perikatan elected representatives.⛓
12. November 2024Appointed as the 4th Secretary-General of BERSATU, confirmed by party president Muhyiddin Yassin.⛓
13. December 2024Appointed as the 2nd Secretary-General of Perikatan Nasional.⛓
14. January 2026Resigned as PN Secretary-General and Selangor PN Liaison Committee Chairman effective January 1, 2026, following the resignation of PN chairman Muhyiddin Yassin amid the Perlis political crisis.⛓
15. April 2026BERSATU proposed Azmin as the Selangor Perikatan Nasional chairman; proposal submitted to the incoming PN chairman with no final decision announced at time of reporting.⛓

Election history

• 2023Hulu Kelang (State)Won51.6%⛓
• 2022Gombak (Parliament)Lost36%⛓
• 2018Gombak (Parliament)Won⛓
• 2018Bukit Antarabangsa (State)Won⛓
• 2013Gombak (Parliament)Won⛓
• 2013Bukit Antarabangsa (State)Won⛓
• 2008Gombak (Parliament)Won⛓
• 2008Bukit Antarabangsa (State)Won⛓
• 1999Hulu Kelang (State)Won⛓

Perspectives on key issues

• GovernmentSelangor Menteri Besar Amirudin Shari disputed Azmin's characterisation of PKNS finances, stating PKNS remained profitable and that the term 'bailout' used by Azmin was inaccurate and misleading.⛓
• OppositionAs Selangor Opposition Leader, Azmin has consistently questioned the state government's management of state-linked corporations, water tariffs, and land asset disposals in the state assembly.⛓
• VerifiedFactsBernama confirmed Azmin won the 2023 Hulu Kelang state seat with 25,597 votes against PKR's Juwairiya Zulfkifli's 23,980 votes, a majority of 1,617 votes. Bernama also confirmed his loss of the Gombak parliamentary seat in GE15 with 59,538 votes versus Amirudin Shari's 72,267 votes.⛓
• ExpertA senior lecturer at UPM's Department of Communications, Dr Norliana Hashim, noted ahead of the 2023 Selangor election that PN's reluctance to formally name Azmin as its Menteri Besar candidate raised questions among electors about the coalition's unity and confidence in its leadership.⛓

Notable legal history

Wikipedia and corroborating Malaysian news sources report that Azmin was barred from contesting the 2004 general election following a conviction for lying in court during the trial of Anwar Ibrahim. Both the High Court and the Court of Appeal subsequently acquitted him of that conviction (Source: en.wikipedia.org).